Railway brake



Sept. 6, 1932. c. c. BOL EN 1,875,323

RAILWAY BRAKE Filed May 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-1.

G C. BOLEN RAILWAY BRAKE Sept. 6, 1932.

Filed May 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 6, I932.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE was 0. 30mm, or Junior, onro RAILWAY BRAKE Application filed Key 1a, 1931. Serial in. 588,047.

This invention relates to operating mechanism for hand brakes for use in connection with railway cars, street cars and other similar vehicles. I

It is the object of this invention to proride a very simple and highly efiicient handcperated mechanism for applying brakes to car wheels.

It is particularly the object of this invention to provide a hand-operated brake mechain which there is a drum operated by a longitudinally adjustable lever, ada ted to have an operating position and an i e pos1- tion in which the handle is supported so that it cannot be moved longitudinally.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in connection with ahand-operated brake mechanism, means for rapid operation of a drum around which a chain is coiled for taking up slack in the chain.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a pawl and ratchet mechanism for holding the chain-carr drum in braking POSI- tion, and which may released so that the drum may rotate to let ofi the chain.

These and other advantages will appear from the following description taken in connection with the dra Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a railway car with the present braking apparatus attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the brakin apparatus detached from the car. Tigure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of igure 4 is'a section on the line 4-4 of igure 5 is a view on the line 55 of Figme 2. v

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fi e 2.

'gure 7 is a section on the line 7-? of Fi e2.

a5 igure 8 is a view showing the end of the lever and the operating ratchet wheel. engaged by the lever.

The resent brake operating apparatus 1s adaptc to be. used in connection cars of various kinds, one of which 1s 1nd1cated by the numeral 1 in Fi e 1 and supported on wheels 2. In this lgg ure the braking apparatus is shown attached to the rear end of a coal car, but it may be attached to othert of cars and to other parts rather than the end.

This apparatus is supported on the car by meansof a frame 3, which has extending therefrom substantially parallel arms 4:. These arms have extending laterally therefrom ears 5, by which the frame is attached to the car by means of bolts passing through holes 6. Adjacent each ear and attached to each arm is a boss 7, which serves as a support for a spindle on one end of a drum 8. Each end of the drum is reduced in size to form the spindle, which fits in bearings in the bosses 7 The drum has around the periphery thereof a spiral groove 9, which forms a seat for a brake operating chain 11, one end of which is attached to the drum by'means of of lugs 10. These lugs are at one end of the drum so that as the drum is rotated the chain is wound on the drum and seated in the spiral groove 9. By means of this groove the chain is coiled around the drum from one end toward the other in the groove.

At one end of the drum and adjacent the spindle on that end is a ratchet wheel 12 for rotating the drum. Mounted on the spindle of the drum, adjacent the ratchet wheel 12, is a handle member 13 which has a slot 14 therein in which the spindle is located. By means of the slot 14 the handle is permitted to have a certain limited amount of longitudinal movement with relation to the ratchet wheel and the drum. The ratchet wheel has teeth on the periphery thereof which are engaged for the rotation of the drum by teeth 16 on a projection 15 of the handle. Thi projection in the present instance is shown to have two teeth. Other numbers of teeth may be used.

These teeth are so located with respectto the handle and the drum that when the handle 95 is in one position on the spindle these teeth engage the ratchet teeth for rotating the drum, and when the handle is in another position on the spindle the teeth are out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 1 0 so that the drum may rotate free of the teetli the ratchet wheel 25 and the bar 27 on the handle.

\- is moved upw y as Shown in Figure In order to support the handle in a; subfso that its teeth 30'engage the teeth of the stantially fixed vertical position there ispro- "ratchet wheel, thereby rotating the ratchet vided on the handle a stop 17 for engagement swlieel and drum in anti-clockwise direction. with a stop member 18 on one arm. Adja\ ;Th1s operation of the drum is for the purpose cent the stop 17 is a cam surface 18a. By means of the stops the handle is supported against swinging and in a substantially fixed position, and by means of the cam surface 18a the handle is held in position so that the teeth of the handle are out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and cannot engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel until the handle has been swung sufficiently to clear the cam surface for longitudinal movement to bring the teeth of the handle in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. After the respective teeth have engaged each other the movement of the handle will cause the drum to rotate. For the purpose of preventing back rotation of the drum there is provided, adjacent the ratchet wheel 12, a second ratchet wheel 19. Both of these ratchet wheels are fixed to the drum and control the rotation of the drum.

Located on top of the frame are bearings 20, which have extending therethrough a shaft 21 supporting a pawl 22 for engagement with the ratchet wheel 19 to prevent the drum from rotating backwardly when the handle is moved for a new engagement with the ratchet wheel 12. The pawl may be swung from ratchet wheel 'enga ing position to a free position so that the rum may be easily rotated without interference by the pawl 22. I

For the purpose of holding the pawl either in engagement with the ratchet wheel 19 or free from engagement with the wheel, a weight 23 is provided. The weight and pawl are both pivotally mounted on the, shaft 21, and have a limited amount of movement with respect to each other. The weightiengages two shoulders 24 on the pawl, one for holding the pawl against the ratchet wheel and the other for tipping it and holding it out of contact with the ratchet wheel.

On the other end of the drum from the two ratchet wheels 12 and 19 is a ratchet wheel 25 for quick operation for the purpose of taking up slack in the chain. This ratchet wheel is constructed in the same manner that the others are. This wheel is operated by means of a longitudinally movable hand lever or bar 27, which has at one end a hand hold loop 28. This bar is supported on the frame by means of a bolt 26, which passes through a slot 29 in the operating bar 27. On one edge of the bar is a .set of teeth 30 for engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel for quick rotation of the drum. The relative position of the ratchet wheel 25 and the bar 27 is shown in Figure 4.

When it is desired to 'rotate the drum 'is bein drum the operation'ofthe drum would be so slow that time would be lost, so that in order to save and economize time rapid means is provided for rotating the drum to take upthe' slack in the chain. After the slack has been 1 taken up the drum is further rotated for braking purposes by operating the handle 13.

For the purpose of trans orting the frame and the whole brake operating mechanism, or for supporting the operator while operating the mechanism, there is provided on the frame a handle 31 which may also be used as a hand hold while the take-up mechanism operated. As shown in Figure 1 the chain 11 extends downwardly and over a pulley 32 located beneath one end of the car. From this pulley the chain extends to a braking apparatus under the car, not shown.

Operation Under ordinary conditions the chain 11 has a certain degree of slack therein. In order to take up this slack without undue loss of time there is provided, in connection with the ratchet wheel on' one end of the drum, a longitudinally movable toothed lever having teeth to engage the ratchet wheel for quick rotation. This lever is either pushed or pulled longitudinally, with its teeth engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel, thereby rotating the drum rapidly for taking up slack in the chain. During this operation the holding pawl is preventing back rotation of the drum.

After the slack has been taken up from the chain the drum is further operated by a movement of the lever 13. When it is desired to rotate the drum the lever is pushed longitudinally so that its teeth 16 engage the teeth on the ratchet wheel 12. lVhen these teeth thus engage an operation of the handle will cause the drum to rotate. When the handle has been moved as far as possible in the rotation of the drum it is again shifted longitudinally toward the operator and moved to original position. The lever is again moved longitudinally so that the teeth on the handle and the ratchet can engage each other for a further operation of the drum.

In Figures 5 and 6 the handle is shown in normal idle, or what might be called first position. In this position the projection 17 engages the lug or stop 18 and the cam surface 18a. When the handle is in this position the cam surface prevents a longitudinal movement thereof. In order to operate the lever, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, it must be swung clockwise. -This swinging must take place before the lever can be moved longitudinally so its teeth can engage the 5 teeth of the ratchet wheel. When the lever has been swung so that it does not engage the cam surface 18a it can be pushed longitudinally so that its teeth will engage the teeth on the ratchet wheel, and thereby a further movement of the lever in a clockwise direction will cause the ratchet wheel and the drum to rotate, as shown in these two Figures 5 and 6.

It will be noticed that the spindle is in 1 the upper end of the slot 14 in the end of the handle. In Figure 8 the relative position of the handle with respect to the ratchet wheel is shown, after the ratchet wheel has been engaged by the handle. This figure 2 shows the spindle in the lower end of the slot inthe handle, and it shows theteeth on the lever in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. A movement of the handle in anti-clockwise direction, as shown. in

tion. 3

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a brake operating attachment, a frame having thereon a hand hold, a drum on the frame adapted on rotation to take up the brake, said hand hold bein located above the drumand a pawl on the rame adj acent the hand hold to hold the drum against rotation and releasing the brake, said pawl having an extension thereon so located relative to the hand hold whereby the extension may be engaged by the thumb of the hand on the hand hold to release the pawl from the drum.

2. In a brake mechanism, a frame, a drum having a ratchet wheel thereon rotatably supported by the frame, a chain on the drum having one. end connected to suitable braking mechanism, a swingable bar having a longitudinally extending slot therein and ratchet teeth on one edge, a support on the frame adjacent the periphery of the ratchet wheel extending into the slot for supporting and guiding the bar so that the bar-may be swung and moved longitudinally back and forth for operatin the ratchet wheel, said supporting means ing located to support the bar in substantially vertical position with the bar teeth out of engagementwith the rality of ratchet devices, a slidable and swingable bar having ratchet teeth and a support for the bar for holding the same in substantially vertical position with the teeth of the bar out of engagement with the teeth of one of said ratchet devices andadapted to I be swung to engage said teeth upon an upward pull of the bar and to be disengaged upon downward movement of the bar to quickly take up the slack in the chain, and

a hand lever adapted to operate the other ratchet device to rotate the drum slowly and with increased power after the slack is taken out of the chain.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CHARLES C. BOLEN.

within my claims and the scope of my inven- 

